I am cleaning up my tranny getting it ready to go back in the car and want to change the fluid. I t probably has 90 weight in it and I was wondering what experience some club members may have with synthetics?

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

I use Swepco 201. Not synthetic but I like it. I'm even beginning to like the smell. This is one of best topics to get people to pick sides. The best is /6 vs /4. Second is carbs vs FI. Alright people, syn on the right, dino on the left. It's good thing to spice up a Sunday morning.



Dave

Elaborate on SWEPCO please. And what are you doing up so early on a Sunday, Church???

Ian

I really don't know the particulars except that the 901 synchros need a little friction to work so, syn thetics may be a little too slippery. Now I said it and I'm ducking for cover.

Why am I on line? Past 50, had to get up to pee, couldn't get back to sleep so I'm cranky and trying to start a flame war. You should see what I wrote in the bald thread.

Dave

Swepco 201 is the oil to use. Has the right oil additives to keep the sychro's working right and last.

Syn is too slippery so it doesn't stick to the synchro's.

QUOTE (Bleyseng @ Jan 15 2006, 08:14 AM)

Syn is too slippery so it doesn't stick to the synchro's.

I understand what you are trying to say (I think), but that statement is bogus. Have some more coffee & try again

I use Swepco in all my Porsche tranny's.

I would be parroting Bruce Anderson but I read somewhere that they put it in their 935 trannys and went from getting one race out of them to 3 races.

That was a while ago... there might be better alternatives out there but I still use the stuff from Southwestern Petroleum Company.

Ok, I have taken apart one tranny that was running syn and it was so clean inside plus the oil just slides off everything.

My usual runner has Swepco and that stuff sticks like snot to the gears, coating them. So its a mess to change gears and such compared to the one running syn.

Thats my observation.

As to what the actually oil additives are and the modifiers, I can't recall that info anymo'....too damn old.


All I know is my runner tranny really likes the Swepco and shifts great these days without any effin grinding even in 1st.

Now the oil gurus can argue......

Okay so swepco it is, I will see if it is available here in Canada. Eric are you the guy that does those pedal clusters?

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

What about Redline MTL (Manual Transmission Lubricant)?

Many of the BMW people prefer it over other brands.

Does it matter that Porsche units are transaxles that combine the transmission and differential?

I do clusters...

QUOTE (Eddie914 @ Jan 15 2006, 08:55 AM)

What about Redline MTL (Manual Transmission Lubricant)? Many of the BMW people prefer it over other brands. Does it matter that Porsche units are transaxles that combine the transmission and differential?

It has to do with the goofy old school syncho's that are in the 901/915 trannys. The bronze alloys likes a certain oil

i have good experience with RedLine synthetic tranny oil, I forgot the exact product off the top of me head, however you want to get the RedLine oil that is ok for the Porsche syncros,

I found I had hard to shift condition in my 914 after i bought it about ten years ago., changed the oil with standard Stalube 90W, no improvement, on recommendation from a friend I switched to redline, and all the shifting issues went away (it would grind going into some gears) not only that, the shifting on cold starts was easier (the oil is thin when cold).. Talk about mechanic in a drum, it worked!

Over 60,000 miles on that tranny since,and no problems. i highly recommend you try it.


good luck

Castrol Multitrax. Been using it for a while now with no appreciable wear and it shifts very well.

I tried Redline MTL in a transmission that was a bit tired. In just about 12 months, it went from "a bit tired" to "oh f**k, rebuild this thing now!" I had a mechanic rebuild it for me, to the tune of a whole bunch'a money. He told me that he had never seen a transmission in that bad a shape actually drive in under its own power.

He then proceded to chew me out for using Redline. "Swepco was the only way we could make the 935 transmissions last for 24 hours. That's what I use, and that's what I recommend." (He was one of the "Warhorse Gang" that ran the Garretson 935s Back When.) I figured that I was paying him a lot of money for his expertise, so I decided not to go against his advice.

I recommend Swepco. I use it. Pelican also sells it, so I may be a little non-objective--but I used it and recommended it before I worked for Pelican.

Other people, of course, have their own opinions.

--DD

I'm not sure if it's a common issue, but after switching to swepco, I developed several leaks in very short order.

That can happen when switching from 30 year old mudoil to fresh new slippery oil.....

I put in Mobil 1 when it became available. I had read that it was a good improvement but might cause leaks. Well, yes. It was. It did. Really it probably a good thing since it pointed out failing seals. So after I replaced the speedo drive shaft o-ring, I put in Swepco. My 2nd gear synchros are just rings I'm sure. Anyway Swepco seems to have returned some small amount of shifting improvement back, So I vote for Swepco. Its the stuff.

basic 90 wt gear oil here.... serves me well.

just put it in my new box

Well that was pretty entertaining. We need a grenade smilie.

Dave

ok I went to PP and saw the swepco -- 45.00 for a gallon -- so how is needed to do a change out ?

QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Jan 15 2006, 05:09 PM)

basic 90 wt gear oil here.... serves me well. just put it in my new box

word! i use the no-name stuff at FLAPS. black plastic bottle, dont remember the name. i think it works better then the swepco that was in it.

when the swepco came out, it was clean. no metal shavings or anything. i just put the FLAps gear oil 90 or 95 weight.

QUOTE (sk8kat1 @ Jan 16 2006, 10:40 AM)

ok I went to PP and saw the swepco -- 45.00 for a gallon -- so how is needed to do a change out ?

2.6 quarts, as i recall.

ok .. I see the plug on the trans to fill it and drain it -- according to haynes manual ... but does it really completely drian from that upper plug ?! .... and how the hell do you refill in the hole and see how much is really in there ?!

First, you remove the upper plug. That's the fill hole. Always remove it first, just in case.

Next, you remove the lower plug. That's the drain hole. Make sure to have a drain pan under it! When the transmission is done draining, put the lower plug back in. Then fill the transmission up until the fluid is even with the bottom of the fill hole. Then you can put the fill plug back in.

As for how, there are a number of ways. A funnel and a lot of clear vinyl tubing is a very messy way of doing it. There are also big one-quart syringe things that some parts stores sell. There are also hand-pumps that some stores sell, and those are the ones I like. They screw onto the tops of the one-gallon bottles. (Other versions screw onto one-quart bottles, if you're using those instead.)

--DD

QUOTE (Eric_Shea @ Jan 15 2006, 08:48 AM)

I use Swepco in all my Porsche tranny's.

QUOTE (Dave_Darling @ Jan 16 2006, 05:45 PM)

There are also hand-pumps that some stores sell, and those are the ones I like. They screw onto the tops of the one-gallon bottles.

(again)

the screw on hand pumps are the way to go. makes an oilchange a piece of cake.

Andy

drain it when warmed up, drive it around first to get it hot. As per the other dave, take out the filler first, just in case it is stuck, better to not drain it if you can't fill it right? drain is on bottom of tranny, and shuold get most the juck out, just be sure to warm it up,a nd start it draining before amy particles settle down in the oil (ie don't wait, drain it right after driving.)

Well since mine is out of the car and on the floor it will be easy to fill and drain, won't be able to warm it up though. Thanks to all who replied!

Ian Stott

If its out of the car, atleast replace the front mainshaft seal! That is where they leak besides the o ring on the speedodrive.

QUOTE (IanStott @ Jan 16 2006, 11:57 PM)

Well since mine is out of the car and on the floor it will be easy to fill and drain, won't be able to warm it up though. Thanks to all who replied! Ian Stott

Sure you can, just set it in the vicinity of a space heater, just not too close. I have used regular Valvoline 90W gear oil in all my A/C VW for 25 years, and it is what is in my 914. Yellow metal does not like sulfur or synthetics much.